Afro-Mexican Jose Maria Morelos y Pavón loved being a priest in Mexico, but when his mentor, Father Miguel Hidalgo, was murdered by Spanish colonizers in 1811, Morelos knew that it was time to become a revolutionary.
Morelos had learned a lot from Hidalgo, but he couldn’t ignore problems in his community such as churches or homes being looted by colonizers. He made sure to make his presence felt on the battlefield, in the community, and in the congress.
In 1813, Morelos proposed the “Sentiments of the Nation” to the Congress of Chilpancingo, laying the foundation for many future improvements to Mexico, including the abolition of slavery, the establishment of racial equality, independence from Spain, and the creation of separate branches of government.
The transition from priest to revolutionary was unusual but Morelos knew that his spirit of resistance was holy work, and could find a place in any environment.
Jose Maria Morelos was a priest who understood that praying alone wasn’t enough to bring revolution. It’s what we do when we end the prayer that has the most power. Liberation takes prayer AND action.